Huge change - jobs coming thanks to mineral survey

Jobs and massive change are being predicted for Northland on the back of secret results of mineral surveys.

More details are slowly emerging about the results of mineral surveys in the region, and a subsequent report being prepared.

Stewart McElwain, of Enterprise Northland, told a Far North District Council meeting on Thursday a data pack containing detailed results from last year's aerial minerals survey would be ready by April or May.

"Then we can get it out to people and the gurus can start trawling through it," he said.

Minerals exploration would bring a "step change" to Northland's economy.

"It's going to make a difference to this region. These are highly paid jobs. It will get some of our highly-skilled people back from Australia and elsewhere," he said.

The survey was a key project for Far North Mayor Wayne Brown, whose council's $100,000 contribution was matched by the Northland Regional Council and bumped up to more than $2 million by the Government.

Mr Brown, who heads the Explore Northland Minerals Group, said only the Otago region had been subject to a full aerial minerals survey.

In Otago's case, however, the survey had been privately funded by Oceania Gold, which had kept the results close to its chest.

The benefits to Northland would be greater because the data would be available to all who wanted it. Mr Brown expected $20 million would be spent on exploratory drilling in the region in the next 18 months.

Northland was highly unusual worldwide for its incredibly complex geology, he said.

Any mining was a long way off and would be subject to strict licensing and Resource Management Act requirements.

Once it was time to start granting prospecting licences, the Explore Northland Minerals Group would encourage the Government to look not just at the highest bidder, but at well-capitalised companies promising to create jobs and opportunities for local and iwi investment, and had good environmental records.

"It will be a beauty parade. Companies offering the maximum opportunities for the district and local iwi, not just money, will be chosen," Mr Brown told the meeting.

Mr McElwain said the aerial survey data meant exploration could be more targeted than in the past. Existing data was limited to a few sites and dated to the 1970s.

Councillor Tom Baker asked if the survey had revealed any uranium deposits, but Mr McElwain said that would only become clear once the data was ready.

Even then, experts would have to trawl through and interpret the data to work out what it meant.

But for anyone whose land is found to contain that most desirable of minerals: Gold - deposits are by law property of the Crown.